Bikes can mean greater independence and stronger relationships for people with disabilities

From birth, we learn new skills – like waving hello or taking a first step – that integrate us into society and begin our journey to self-sufficiency. For people who have developmental disabilities, however, some rites of passage are difficult or delayed – but not impossible.

Local nonprofit Covey is working to help people realize this fact, one bike ride at a time. The organization’s iCan Shine Bike Camp teaches people with a range of intellectual and physical disabilities to ride a two-wheel bike over the course of a week. According to Covey COO Harper Mruk, the results are profound for riders and their families. “After one week, you see someone who can’t do something turn into someone who is proficient at it – and it has changed their life,” she said.

Mruk tells a story of an older rider at last year’s iCan Shine Bike Camp who leveraged his new skill for a steady paycheck. “On Friday, he left the camp and rode his bike to work,” said Mruk. “He was able to get fulltime employment because he now had a reliable mode of transportation.”

Because bikes are both accessible and affordable, they provide independence, particularly for individuals who have physical or social barriers that can prohibit every day activities. With a bike, Mruk says, “People don’t have to rely on the kindness of others to get them from point A to point B. If they need to get to work, if they need to get to a doctor appointment, they can just hop on their bike.”

Bike riding also provides social interaction that some might take for granted, especially for children. “Riding a bike is such a milestone in somebody’s life,” explained Mruk. “Whenever you are able to do things right alongside your peers, you’re more accepted.” When the week is over, riders are equipped to engage with friends and family.

“One rider would get really frustrated because his family would go camping a lot, and his bike with training wheels couldn’t do the trails, so he couldn’t ride with his brothers,” said Covey program manager Brittani Feuerhelm. “Now, he’s cruising around the camp grounds.”

Feurhelm says that parents who send their children to the iCan Shine Bike Camp also feel the benefits. One father sent a note to the organization saying, “I didn’t think I’d ever be riding a bicycle with my son.”

The camp succeeds in teaching bike riding when teachers and parents sometimes cannot, thanks to special equipment provided by coordinating agency iCan Shine. “They use pre-specialized equipment to provide this service and all of that comes with a cost,” explained Mruk.

For $250 per rider, the camp includes use of the specialized equipment and training for the new skill. The organization primarily works with the community to help fund the camp and is currently seeking sponsors to cover the fee for approximately 25 individuals.

Volunteers play a key role in the riders’ success, but often find themselves tied to the wins and losses of the riders. “Those volunteers enter thinking they’re just going to encourage someone by running alongside a bike and then they leave with their heart on that bike,” Mruk said. “They are now a part of this person’s personal success.”

Each year, approximately 75 volunteers participate – though Mruk stresses that more are always welcome – and jog alongside the riders, giving them encouragement as they go. “One of the biggest things that we as human beings need and desire is having relationships with others,” Mruk said. “Some of us are born naturally being able to create those ourselves and navigate through that social world. Some of us are born needing more assistance or encouragement on that.”

It’s this combination of supportive hands-on volunteers, specialized equipment and high-success rates that give riders an immense feeling of confidence. Mruk says confidence is “1000%” cumulative after learning a new skill like bike riding. “It means all the other ‘cant’s’ in their lives are now question marks, and something to pursue rather than just assuming it’s not possible.”

“If they could ride a bike when they couldn’t, they could go to the grocery store when they couldn’t,” Mruk said. “Maybe they could actually get on a bus and talk to the bus driver when they couldn’t do that before.”

Ultimately, according to Mruk, iCan Shine Bike Camp is about “allowing riders to participate in an activity that’s another aspect of everyday life.”

“At the end of the day, it’s about being able to be a part of your community.”

For those in the community who know someone with a disability and want to learn more about iCan Shine Bike Camp, you can visit Covey’s site. The Covey team stresses that capacity is limited and first-come, first served. Those who want to sponsor a rider for $250 can do so here, or become a volunteer and help an individual learn how to ride.

Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA Today Network were not involved in the creation of this content.